By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
A Hays man was apprehended following a report of an alleged domestic disturbance and strangulation Tuesday morning in Hays.
The Hays Police Department received a dispatch at 11:19 a.m. on Tuesday, directing them to a house on East 19th Street.
Officers arrived at the scene and made contact with 44-year-old Hays resident Timothy Don Walker.
Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler said Walker allegedly assaulted a woman by gripping her neck and strangling her.
Walker allegedly threatened to kill her and another man at a residence who had called police.
During the disturbance, Walker also allegedly punched and cracked the victim's windshield and exposed his genitals to her.
Scheibler said the victim allegedly escaped from Walker before police arrived at the scene at 11:23 a.m.
When police arrived, they attempted to de-escalate the situation in the backyard, Scheibler said.
"He refused to comply with the officer's commands," Scheibler said. "When officers attempted to cuff him, he physically resisted, which led to him being tased."
By 11:35 a.m., Walker was in custody and en route to the
Ellis County Jail.
Walker was arrested on requested charges of aggravated domestic battery, criminal damage and interference with law enforcement.
Scheibler said physical evidence aligns with the victim's account that Walker choked her.
The suspect and female victim had allegedly previously been in a relationship.
Scheibler said he wants people to recognize the severity of strangulation and its prevalence within relationships.
"The potential for serious injury or death is always possible, and if they're in an abusive relationship, they should report those issues, " Scheibler said.
Officials hope a new program will reduce or even end murders related to domestic violence in Ellis County.
A partnership between domestic violence advocates, law enforcement and the court system uses a lethality survey to get help for people who are in the most in danger of a fatal domestic violence attack.
SEE RELATED STORY: New program seeks to reduce murders in Ellis County
One of the questions in the lethality survey is about strangulation.
You can find information and resources for domestic violence at the National Domestic Violence Hotline website as well as through Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, which provides advocacy services in all of northwest Kansas, including Ellis County.
There are many ways victims can access help from Options.
You can walk into an Options office at 2716 Plaza, Hays, or 1480 W. Fourth, Colby. You can call Options' 24-hour helpline at 1-800-794-4624 or text HOPE to 847411.
A live chat option or a virtual video conference with an advocate is available on the Options website at https://help4abuse.org/.
The website has a safe escape button that will allow you to quickly close out of the website and erase your cookies so anyone who is on the computer after you will not be able to see that you have been on the website.
Options has a free app for Android and Apple devices called "My Mobile Options."